A 40-year-old man from Sittingbourne has been jailed for two years and nine months after stealing copper cabling from several electricity substations across Kent. Mark Baker, of East Hall Walk, was sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on 10 March 2026 following a series of break-ins that caused widespread power cuts and significant damage.
Between September and December 2025, Baker targeted sites belonging to UK Power Networks in areas including Ashford, Canterbury, Herne Bay, and Maidstone. He dressed in high-visibility clothing and used specialist tools like metal cutters to pose as a workman while forcing his way into the power sites to remove copper earthing and safety equipment.
According to Kent Police, the thefts resulted in more than £220,000 in repair costs and business losses. The crimes also left dozens of homes without electricity and caused electrical damage to appliances and property owned by local residents.
Officers arrested Baker on 18 December 2025 after an investigation linked him to the various break-ins through forensic evidence and property searches. Investigators noted that his actions created a serious risk to public safety and caused major disruption to the local community during the three-month crime spree.
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